Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-14

ago. The gravel on Steep Hollow creek
consisted of clay, powders, igneous rocks,
sand and occasionally quartz bowlder.
This indicates that there is no channel and
never was on section 7. In the opinion of
witness the land was desirable and chiefly
valuable for fruit culture The soil on the
plateau is covered with thick growth of
pine and is very fertile. The sleeper por
tons and that in the serpentine rock for
nation have no soil to speak of upon them.
On cross-examination, witness was
closely questioned as to his experience as a
civil engineer in the field and to his knowl-
edge ofsurveying extending back to the time
he was IA years of age, and first commenced
assisting his father, who is a surveyor in
the field. He was employed for four years
in the United States Surveyor Generals
office, and had made a study of geology to
familiarize himself with the gravel and
quartz formations in Placer and Nevada
counties. He understood the principles
OF DRIFT mining; was raised in a
hydraulic camp, where an excel
lent opportunity was afforded to
study the geological formations of these
sections. He was subjected to a very Sc
we're and long-drawn-out examination as to
his theory that the ancient river channel
passed westward of and not through Sec
ton Z. His ideas were very clear upon this
point, and he made it even clearer upon
cross-examination than given in his direct
testimony.
General Carey dwelt upon the fact that
as these mining surveys extended into Sec
ton the miners evidently had different
theory as to the location and direction of
the gold-bearing gravel channel from that
of witness.
On redirect testimony witness said it was
no unusual thing for applicants for min
eral patentsto include in their SURVEYS val
able timber and agricultural lands and
lands known not to contain mineral, but to
be used as dumping places.
Senator Sargent said this was undoubt-
edly the case in this instance, for one of the
witnesses on the part of the Government
in this case had admitted that he would
give $40 per acre for a certain portion of
section for agricultural purposes.
On further questioning by General Carey,
witness said that he could not say that the
mines referred to in this case had included
portions of section for its timber or the
fertility of its soil, but he was satisfied that
it was only valuable for those purposes.
The soil is what is termed light loan,
consisting of disintegrated lava and de-
cayed vegetable matter. 1t is heavily COW
cred with vigorous growth of pine, such
as is only to be found in deep rich soil.
All of it will yield abundant fruit crops
with proper cultivation and some irriga-
ton.
Allan Towle, the next witness, is one of
the firm of Towle Bros, who are defend
ants in the case. He said they purchased
this land from the railroad company in
April, 1875. The conveyance of the rail
road company to Towle Bros. of section I
was filed in evidence. Witness said the
land was bought for grazing purposes and
the timber upon it. When purchased, it
was covered with fine forests of spruce, fir,
cedar, sugar and yellow pine. Sugar
pine is worth about one-third more
than the other kinds of timber. He could
not say how much sugar pine was upon
the section at the time they bought it.
Quite lot of it had been cut off by shake
makers. Witness had followed numbering
and mining for many years. and that was
his business at present. When they bought
section they did so for the timber and to
use it for a stock range. He did not at
that time. has at no time since, and does
not now think it valuable for mineral. The
south half of the section is good soil the
north half is steep, rough and rocky, es-
pecially so along the course of Steep Hollow
creek. On the south half fruit of all kinds
can be raised, especially apples and pears.
When we bought this section we knew the
Government had patented it to the railroad
company. We relied upon their patent,
believing the Government had acted Justly
and lntelligently, and ON that faith we pur-
chased it. He did no. know of any one
mining on the section at the time of
their purchase, and was not aware of
any ones mining on it since. Witness
had been mining in that section for the
past thirty years. His first mining was
done in Steep Hollow creek, on its north
fork. Prospected some on its south fork,
in section Z, but found nothing that would
pay. He considered Steep Hollow and its
branches pretty well worked out at that
time. / could find gold, but not enough to
pay expenses, and | left in debt to the
trading post. There was no prospecting on
section at that time, that | was aware Of
| was there again in 1860 or 1861, and found
the place apparently abandoned. l never
interfered with anyone mining upon that
section. He went to Thompson Hill in
1857, run tunnel into it and kept drifting
in that mine for two years. Have since
been and am now interested in mines at
Dutch Flat, Gold Run and Alta. Henever
knew of the existence of gravel channel
upon section 7, and did not believe there
was one.
On cross examination, witness said his
impression was that they paid s. per acre
for all of section Z. Nearly all of the val
liable timber on the south half had been
cut off. When the land was bought he
did not consider it valuable for mineral
and does not now. He lives at Towlts, 81
miles south of section Z. Has resided
there for the past four years; prior to that,
from 1856, resided at Dutch Flat He
knew of the Mammoth Spring tunnel, but
never considered the gravel there is gold
bearing or indicative OF pay channel Mr..
Skehan, the prosecuting witness, he was not
sure whether he knew him or not. They
had been trying to scrape an acquaintance
at the noon recess. He did not know who
he was by sight until the commencement
of this trial. He had fine garden and
orchard at Towles, another at Dutch Flat,
and had demonstrated that lands similar
IN every respect to those on section were
fertile, and good for the cultivation of
first. The land however, they had bought
more particularly for the timber. When
General Carey pressed the witness to know
the extent of his mining experience, the
latter replied that he was big miner until
the Sacramento people objected and Judge
Sawyer inttrposed an objection
AT 4:45 P. NJ adjourned to 10 A. NJ. to-